Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 16:14

"And they said, Some [say] John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." — Matthew 16:14 (ASV)

And they said, Some say that you are John the Baptist — This passage is of the greatest possible interest as one of the very few that indicate the impressions, shaped into beliefs, that were circulating among the people about our Lord’s character and mission. These beliefs were based, in each case, on a popular doctrine of transmigration, which the Pharisees had included in their system of teaching. The great figures of the past were thought to still be in existence and might reappear at any great national crisis to continue and complete their work. Each of the answers has a further special interest of its own.

1. The identification of our Lord with the Baptist has already been mentioned as coming from the lips of the tetrarch Antipas, who adopted—but did not originate—this idea to explain our Lord’s mighty works (Matthew 14:2; Luke 9:7).
2. The belief that Elijah had reappeared was similar. He was expected as the forerunner of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5). The people’s imagination had at first seen the Baptist as the reappearance of the Tishbite. However, John, though working in the spirit and power of Elijah, had disclaimed this identity. It was natural, then, that the people’s imagination would turn to One who seemed to be simply continuing John’s work. The nature of our Lord’s recent miracles, which corresponded to those recorded of Elijah for the widow of Sarepta (1 Kings 17:14), had probably strengthened that impression.
3. The name of Jeremiah introduces a new line of legendary thought. The impression that prophet made on people’s minds had led to a kind of mythical after-growth. It was said that the spirit of Jeremiah had passed into Zechariah (see note on Matthew 27:9), and on that assumption, another reappearance might well seem probable. It was believed that he had hidden the ark, the tabernacle, and the altar of incense in a cave on the mountain where Moses climbed up and saw the heritage of God—that is, on Nebo, or Pisgah ()—and was expected to return and guide the people to the place of concealment at the time when God should gather His people together. He had appeared to Judas Maccabeus in a vision as a man with grey hairs, and exceeding glorious, and as the guardian prophet of the people, praying for them and for the Holy City, had given him a golden sword as the gift of God . As the prophet who had foretold the new covenant and the coming of the Lord our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6; Jeremiah 31:31), he was identified, as thoroughly as Isaiah, with the Messianic expectations of the people. We may add that there may have been something in our Lord’s human aspect, as a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, which helped suggest this identification with the prophet who was, above all others in that goodly company, a prophet of lamentations, tears, and woe.
4. The last conjecture was more vague and undefined. It was probably the recourse of those who were impressed with wonder at our Lord’s words and works, yet could not bring themselves to acknowledge Him as what He claimed to be.

All four of these conjectures, as can be seen, fell far short of recognizing Him as the Christ.

Interpreted in connection with the vision of Daniel 7:13, the words of the question, “Whom do people say that I, the Son of Man, am?” did, in fact, assume His claim to be the Christ. But it remained to be seen whether the disciples had risen to their Lord’s meaning in speaking of Himself this way and would, for their part, adopt that interpretation. The report they gave of the beliefs of others shows how little He was regarded as the Messiah by the masses at this time, whatever may have been the case earlier or later.